LIST OF VOLUMES VOLUME I. THE STORY TELLER Edited by CHARLES ELIOT NORTON VOLUME II. THE MERRY MAKER Edited by JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS VOLUME III. FAMOUS FAIRY TALES Edited by ROSWELL FIELD VOLUME IV. TALES OF FANTASY Edited by TUDOR JENKS VOLUME V. MYTHS AND LEGENDS Edited by THOMAS J. SHAHAN VOLUME VI. THE ANIMAL STORY BOOK Edited by ERNEST THOMPSON SETON VOLUME VII. SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS Edited by KIRK MUNROE and MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD VOLUME VIII. BOOK OF ADVENTURE Edited by NATHAN HASKELL DOLE VOLUME IX. FAMOUS EXPLORERS Edited by EDWIN ERLE SPARKS VOLUME X. BRAVE DEEDS Edited by JOHN TOWNSEND TROWBRIDGE VOLUME XI. WONDERS OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY Edited by EDWARD SINGLETON HOLDEN VOLUME XII. FAMOUS TRAVELS Edited by GEORGE A. HENTY VOLUME XIII. SEA STORIES Edited by CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY VOLUME XIV. A BOOK OF NATURAL HISTORY Edited by DAVID STARR JORDAN VOLUME XV. HISTORIC SCENES IN FICTION Edited by HENRY VAN DYKE VOLUME XVI. FAMOUS BATTLES BY LAND AND SEA Edited by JOHN D. LONG VOLUME XVII. MEN WHO HAVE RISEN Edited by HAMILTON WRIGHT MABIE. VOLUME XVIII. BOOK OF PATRIOTISM Edited by VOLUME XIX. LEADERS OF MEN, OR HISTORY TOLD IN BIOGRAPHY Edited by WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER VOLUME XX. FAMOUS POEMS Selected by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH, with Poetical Foreword by EDITH M. THOMAS. [Illustration: A GEYSER] Volume XI: WONDERS OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY Edited by EDWARD SINGLETON HOLDEN Boston Hall and Locke Company Publishers 1902 CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi THE MARVELS OF NATURE xiii BY PROFESSOR E.S. HOLDEN. WHAT THE EARTH'S CRUST IS MADE OF 1 BY AGNES GIBERNE. AMERICA THE OLD WORLD 45 BY LOUIS AGASSIZ. SOME RECORDS OF THE ROCKS 77 BY N.S. SHALER. THE PITCH LAKE IN THE WEST INDIES 97 BY CHARLES KINGSLEY. A STALAGMITE CAVE 111 BY SIR C. WYVILLE THOMSON. THE BIG TREES OF CALIFORNIA 119 BY ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE. WHAT IS EVOLUTION? 127 BY PROFESSOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN. HOW THE SOIL IS MADE 135 BY CHARLES DARWIN. ZOÖLOGICAL MYTHS 143 BY ANDREW WILSON. ON A PIECE OF CHALK 171 BY T.H. HUXLEY. A BIT OF SPONGE 205 BY A. WILSON. THE GREATEST SEA-WAVE EVER KNOWN 211 BY R.A. PROCTOR. THE PHOSPHORESCENT SEA 228 BY W.S. DALLAS. COMETS 251 BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION. THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1883 261 BY E.S. HOLDEN. HALOS--PARHELIA--THE SPECTRE OF THE BROCKEN, ETC. 268 BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION. THE PLANET VENUS 282 BY AGNES M. CLERKE.